1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the connectorization of flat cable and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus for exposing the conductor ends of one particular type of cable in a manner that facilitates the connectorization thereof to connectors of either the solder or solderless type.
2. Background of the Invention
In one particular type of flat cable designed for telephone under-carpet cable applications, known as TUCC* flat cable (*registered trademark of the Western Electric Company), two precisely offset arrays of conductors are separated by an insulative center film, with each array being bonded directly to only the respectively adjacent one of two mutually disposed insulative outer films. The conductors are preferably of rectangular or ribbon configuration in such a cable so as to allow the latter to be fabricated with minimum thickness. This becomes of paramount importance from both a safety and an esthetic standpoint when a given length of such cable must be folded back upon itself to allow a change in direction for a particular under-carpet wiring application.
Prior to laminating the conductors between the center and outer films, a spaced array of resilient insulative isolating members, such as in the form of adhesive-backed plastic tapes, are transversely positioned on each side of the center film. Corresponding tapes in the two opposite side arrays are aligned in pairs at respective predetermined terminating sites along the cable, as fabricated, such as at intervals of 5, 10 or 15 feet.
One preferred form of such a uniquely constructed multi-arrayed cable is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,310,365 of W. A. Elliott-T. J. Taylor, assigned to the same assignee as the present invention. An apparatus for effecting the securement of the above-described isolating tapes in precisely aligned opposite side pairs along the center film of the cable in queston is disclosed in another co-pending application of M. P. Asar-R. A. Greene, Ser. No. 210, 703, filed Nov. 26, 1980, also assigned to the same assignee as the present invention.
When the described isolating tapes are also of a material that will not adhere to the adhesive-coated side of the particular outer film in contact therewith, it is seen that the outer film, together with the coextensive array of conductor end portions bonded only thereto, may advantageously be readily separated from the center film at each predetermined cable termination site. This, of course, in and of itself greatly facilitates the subsequent connectorization of the cable.
In this regard, one preferred method employed heretofore to effect the connectorization of the particular type of cable of concern herein is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,302,065, of T. J. Taylor, also assigned to the same assignee as the present invention. As disclosed in this latter referenced application, a terminated end section of each outer film, together with the coextensive array of conductor end portions bonded thereto, is initially separated outwardly at a substantial angle from the initially contacting one of the leading pair of isolating tapes, such as by means of a manually manipulated knife blade, or any other similarly operated instrumentality. Thereafter, each outwardly displaced outer film, together with the associated array of coextensive conductor end portions bonded thereto, is sharply folded back upon itself, such as by means of a manual operation. This advantageously results in one major surface of each of the folded-back conductor end portions in each array advantageously being fully exposed (with no conventional outer film stripping operation being required) so as to facilitate the subsequent connectorization of the cable to a conventional connector of either the solder or solderless type.
What has been urgently needed heretofore in preparing each terminated end of the above-described type of flat cable for connectorization is a reliable, rapid and simplified method, and automated device for its practice, to carry out the necessary flare-out, trimming and fold-back operations performed thereon. The need for such a method and automated apparatus is of particular importance because of the fact that the subject cable, as previously noted, is normally cut to relatively short predetermined lengths (e.g., of 5, 10 or 15 feet) and connectorized before being shipped to the field for universal use in customer installations.